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Contact your agency for registration and more information

Contact your agency for registration and more information

Description: This course is designed to provide experienced EEO counselors and other EEO practitioners with EEO law updates and to enhance counseling skills. This course satisfies the 8 hour per annum training requirement for federal EEO counselors. This course is taught by an experienced EEO professional and promises to impart a wide range of EEO knowledge.

Presenter: Alexis D. Howard is an Attorney in the Office of Federal Operations (OFO) at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) – Headquarters, located in Washington, DC. As a Commission Attorney, her primary responsibilities include reviewing and rendering decisions on a variety of employment discrimination cases, a substantial number of which involve highly complex or novel issues for which there is unsettled or no Commission policy or precedent. Additionally, Ms. Howard conducts EEO training and investigations and provides assistance regarding the Federal EEO process to Federal employees and agencies. She has served as a mentor for an OFO training program for EEO Specialists, as well as an annual internship program for law students. She serves as Lead for the EEOC Women’s Work Group and is a co-writer of the “EEOC Women's Work Group Report” that was issued in December 2013. Ms. Howard has been with the Commission since August 1999. She received her Juris Doctor from the Howard University School of Law in May 1998 and has been a member of the State of Maryland Bar since December 1998. Ms. Howard received a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Howard University School of Business in 1994. She is a native Washingtonian and currently resides in DC with her husband and their two daughters.

Presenters: Bruce Stewart and Nicole Lassiter, Office of Personnel Management

Agenda

Registration begins

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Master of Ceremony: Grace Spence - President, FAPAC
Welcoming Remarks: M. Farook Sait - Conference Chair, FAPAC

Keynote Speaker: Admiral Paul Zukunft became the 25th Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on May 30, 2014. Prior to this, Admiral Zukunft served as Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area, where he was operational commander for all USCG missions encompassing more than 74 million square miles and provided mission support to the DOD and Combatant Commanders. Other Flag assignments include Commander of the Eleventh Coast Guard District and Director, Joint Interagency Task Force West, where he served as executive agent to US Pacific Command for combating Transnational Criminal Organizations in the Asia-Pacific Region. In 2010, Admiral Zukunft served as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon Spill. His senior staff assignments included Chief of Operations, Coast Guard Pacific Area and Chief of Operations Oversight, Coast Guard Atlantic Area where he directly supervised all major cutter operations in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. He also served as Chief of Staff, at the Fourteenth Coast Guard District in Honolulu, Hawaii. Admiral Zukunft graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1977 with a BS degree in Government; from Webster University in 1988 with an MA degree in Management; and from the U.S. Naval War College in 1997 with an MA degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. He is a graduate of the Asia Pacific Center for Strategic Studies Executive Seminar and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government National Preparedness Leadership Initiative.

Guest Speaker: Isiah (Ike) Leggett was elected to his first fourth year term in 2006 as the County Executive for Montgomery County, Maryland. Isiah Leggett was the first African American to be elected to the County Council. Ike Leggett served four terms as an At- Large Member (1986 - 2002). He also served as the Council's President three times (1991, 1998, 1999) and as its Vice-President three times (1990, 1997, 2002). As a Council Member he also chaired the Council’s Transportation and Environment Committee and served on the Education Committee. His other political service includes chairing the Maryland Democratic Party from December 2002 - December 2004, which involved working with local officials throughout Maryland. Leggett was elected as president of the Maryland Association of Counties in January 2015. He holds four higher education degrees: a BA from Southern University, an MA and a JD from Howard University, and a Master of Laws from George Washington University. Ike Leggett graduated from Southern University in 1967 as a Distinguished Military Graduate. In 1981 he was selected as the Southern University Outstanding Alumni. He finished first in his class from Howard University Law School, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Guest Remarks: Kumar P. Barve has been a member of the Maryland House of Delegates for 24 years and was the chamber's majority leader from 2003 until earlier this year. He was the first Indian-American to serve in a state legislature. Barve is now the chairman of the House Environment and Transportation Committee. Barve is an accountant and the Chie Financial Officer at Environmental Management Services Inc., an environmental and hazardous waste remediation company. Barve graduated from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business with a BS degree in Accounting.

Cultural Presentation: Asian Culture Dance Groups

Instructor: Janet Silva
Start the day with yoga exercises

Guest Speaker: Leslie Weldon is the Deputy Chief of the national Forest Service and manages projects and programs for 155 national forests and 20 grasslands across the country. From 2009 to 2011, Leslie served as Regional Forester for the Northern Region of the Forest Service. Leslie’s 30-year career with the Forest Service began in 1981 as a summer hire monitoring seedlings, fighting forest fires and surveying spotted owls on the Mt. Baker- Snoqualmie National Forest in Washington. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from Virginia Tech, she was hired as a fisheries biologist for three districts on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Leslie has served in numerous positions around the US and has served on several boards and organizations including: The High Desert Museum, past president of Bend High Desert Rotary, Deschutes United Way, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and liaison to the Pinchot Institute for Conservation. Leslie is currently a member of the National Forest Leadership Council of the National Forest Foundation.

Guest Remarks: Juliet K. Choi became Chief of Staff at the US Citizen and Immigration Service in 2014. Before that, Choi was the chief of staff and senior advisor for the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Choi previously worked with the American Red Cross, National Headquarters, serving as a member of the Disaster Services executive leadership team in the capacity of senior director for disaster partnerships. Choi also previously served at the Asian American Justice Center as the inaugural NAPABA (National Asian Pacific American Bar Association) Partners Community Law Fellow and staff attorney. Choi is a graduate of both the American Express Non-Profit Leadership Academy and Harvard National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. She received her law school’s Alumni Association Award for Leadership and Character and Rising Star Alumnus Award. A certified mediator, she served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Dennis M. Sweeney (retired) of the Circuit Court for Howard County, Maryland. Ms. Choi received her Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Virginia and her law degree from the University of Maryland.

Guest Remarks: Georgia Coffey was named Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diversity and Inclusion in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2008. She serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration on Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), workforce diversity and organizational inclusion issues for the second largest cabinet level department in the Federal Government. She has over 25 years of EEO, diversity and inclusion (D&I), and dispute resolution experience in the public and private sectors. She has led numerous leading edge initiatives including VA’s first Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan which served as a model for the government wide D&I Strategic Plan. Recently, Ms. Coffey was featured on the cover of Nov-Dec 2013 issue of Diversity Executive Magazine. Ms. Coffey earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland; a Master's Degree and Doctoral work in Education from American University; and a Certificate in EEO Studies from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

Description: To address training needs, FAPAC initiated a pilot with the support of WHIAAPI, OPM and EEOC that features four virtual teams working across government to focus on four critical areas: capacity building, data disaggregation, language access and workforce diversity. Team representatives will present the findings and recommendations of the respective teams

Guest Speaker: Daphne Kwok is Vice President of Multicultural Markets & Engagement for the Asian American & Pacific Islander Audience at AARP. Ms. Kwok was previously Executive Director of Asians & Pacific Islanders with Disabilities of California. She was also the Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation. In DC, Ms. Kwok focused on increasing political participation of the AAPI community and working with AAPI elected officials as Executive Director of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies. For 11 years, she was the Executive Director of OCA, a non-profit, civil rights organization with more than 10,000 members. She coordinated programs and services for its chapters and affiliates across the country and monitored issues pertaining to the Asian American community. During her OCA tenure, Ms. Kwok was the first elected Chair of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, a network of national AAPI organizations. A 1984 graduate of Wesleyan University in East Asian Studies and Music, Ms. Kwok is the first Asian American to serve on its Board of Trustees. Ms. Kwok is outgoing Chair of the President’s Advisory Commission on AAPIs.

Moderator: Ambreen Tariq is on detail from the U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, serving as an Advisor for the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. At the Wage and Hour Division, Ambreen is a Specialist in the Communications Division. Her work focuses on strategic messaging and media planning to elaborate on the agency’s priorities and accomplishments as they relate to protecting vulnerable low-wage workers and ensuring a level playing field for businesses. She advises on AAPI outreach and education efforts and helps strengthen AAPI language access to agency resources. Ambreen also works on building and maintaining strategic stakeholder relationships with state and federal agency partners. Her federal career previously included work with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and at the Environmental Protection Agency. Ambreen holds a J.D. from the Catholic University of America and a B.A. in Politics and South Asian Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Team Report: Challenge Teams

Guest Speaker: Vice Admiral Lewis W. Crenshaw USN (Ret) is Founder and Principal at Crenshaw Consulting Associates LLC which provides advice and counsel in strategic planning, executive coaching and organizational restructuring. A native of Greenville, AL, Vice Adm. (ret) Crenshaw graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1974 with a BS in Ocean Engineering. He earned his Naval Flight Officer wings in Pensacola, Fla. in1975 and went on to become Deputy Commander, US Naval Forces Europe and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Requirements and Assessments. He has been with Grant Thornton LLP as National Industry Leader, Aerospace and Defense. He has held several senior leadership positions in defense and intelligence industry. He was elected as a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration.

Moderator: Geoffrey T. Wang is an IT Associate at Grant Thornton where he supports the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at the General Services Administration as a cybersecurity analyst and information system security auditor. Wang graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in May 2014 with dual BS degrees in Finance and Information Systems, and a minor in Technology Entrepreneurship. At UMD, he held leadership positions within the Honors Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program, Hinman CEOs, Phi Chi Theta Professional Business Fraternity, Smith Undergraduate Student Association, and the Dean’s Student Advisory Council Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Speaker: Victoria Cox retired from the FAA in 2013 and has served on the Executive Steering Committee for the AIAA’s Aviation 2014 & 2015 Conferences, the Advisory Board for the Systems Engineering Research Council (SERC) and recently initiated a consulting practice. Before retirement, she served as the FAA’s Assistant Administrator for NextGen. Prior to joining the FAA, Cox was Director of International Technology Programs in the Office of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, Office of the Secretary of Defense. Cox served as Chief of Physics and Scientific Director of the European Office of Aerospace Research and Development in London and also worked as a scientist on the Hubble Telescope for NASA. Cox graduated from Converse College and received a Master’s degree from East Carolina University. She has a certificate in U.S. National Security Policy from Georgetown University.

Speaker: Jonathan Carver is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As the CFO, Mr. Carver is the agency’s representative to the Congressional Appropriations Committees and garners the budgetary resources needed to meet the agency’s mission. Mr. Carver brings over 18 years of experience in budget and planning, performance management, financial controls and acquisition management. Prior to joining ICE, Mr. Carver served as the CFO, Chief Acquisition Officer, and Associate Administrator for Performance Management at the U.S. Small Business Administration. Mr. Carver also served as the Budget Director for the Human Support Services Cluster and the Budget Officer and Chief Financial Officer for the DC Department of Health. Mr. Carver has a BA and an MBA. from George Washington University.

Keynote Speaker: Honorable Christopher P. Lu was sworn in as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Labor on April 4, 2014. During his career in public service, Lu has worked in all three branches of the Federal Government. From 2009 to 2013, Lu served as the White House Cabinet Secretary and Assistant to the President. As one of the highest-ranking Asian Americans in the Obama Administration, Lu was also the Co-Chair of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. Prior to his service in the White House, Lu worked for then-Senator Obama, first as the Legislative Director, and then as the Acting Chief of Staff. Lu's government experience includes eight years working for Rep. Henry Waxman as the Deputy Chief Counsel of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and serving as a law clerk for Judge Robert E. Cowen on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He began his legal career as a litigation attorney at Sidley Austin in Washington, D.C. Lu has also been a fellow at the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, the University of Chicago Institute of Politics, and the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress. He is also the co-editor of the book, Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Congress. Lu is a magna cum laude graduate of Princeton University and cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School.

Special Remarks: Michael P. Huerta was confirmed in 2013 by the Senate as Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration after serving as Deputy Administrator. Huerta is responsible for the safety and efficiency of the largest aerospace system in the world. Huerta also oversees the FAA's multi-billion dollar NextGen air traffic control modernization program as the US shifts from ground-based radar to state-of-the-art satellite technology. Huerta is an experienced transportation official who has held key positions across the country including Managing Director of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Prior to the FAA, Huerta held senior positions at the Xerox acquired Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) from 2002 to 2009 rising to the position of President of the Transportation Solutions Group. Huerta was commissioner of New York City's Department of Ports, International Trade and Commerce and also served as the Executive Director of the Port of San Francisco. He held senior positions in the U.S. Transportation Department in Washington, D.C., serving under Secretary Federico Pena and Secretary Rodney E. Slater. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of California-Riverside and a Master's in Public Affairs, with a concentration in International Relations from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University.

Full-Range Leadership: Transform Yourself and Transform the World

Description: Through a mixture of instruction, discussion, and activities, this workshop will address the concept of transformational leadership and its potential impacts in the modern Federal workspace. Participants will first examine the changes in public service necessitating a more expansive and inclusive leadership style. They will then be exposed to the Full-Range Leadership Model which establishes a spectrum of leadership styles ranging from laissez-faire (passive-avoidant) to transactional (managerial) to transformational (inspirational). Using cases studies drawn from history, the headlines, and their home offices, participants will explore the behaviors, strengths, and shortfalls of each style to determine which is most effective and when. Next participants will learn and exercise the four behaviors of transformational leadership, specifically: 1) Idealized Influence, 2) Inspired Motivation, 3) Intellectual Stimulation, and 4) Individual Consideration. Lastly, participants will assess their leadership behaviors along the Full-Range Leadership Model scale in order to gain awareness and prompt further personal development.

Presenter: Michael Belcher is an executive-level educator and coach with over 30 years of experience in the public and private sectors. He teaches leadership, organizational development, and change management to senior-level government officials attending the Federal Executive Institute. During his military career he served in a wide array of command and staff positions include Director of the Marine Corps War College and Commanding Officer of ground combat forces during three conflicts. After retiring, he served as Vice President, Defense Strategy and Operations, for a for a commercial IT services and solutions firm. Supervising 35 technicians, managers, and administrators, he managed a portfolio of seven projects generating $10M in annual revenue. He holds M.S. degrees from the Naval Post-Graduate School and the National Defense University, and is pursuing his Ed.D. degree from George Washington University. He is the author of numerous scholarly works on leadership, adult education, stress management, resilience, and military history and sociology.

The Secrets to Answering the Toughest Questions in Any Interview

Description:Whether you are new to your career or are a seasoned pro, your continued success depends in large part on your ability to speak clearly and convincingly to one person or a thousand. As a former television news anchor, public relations consultant and media trainer, Tom will explain his easy to use method for developing communications messages for any situation, giving you the confidence and ability to present yourself or your organization in the best possible way. And he will show you how to use these messages to answer “Five Tricky Types of Questions” in order to take control of any interview or Q & A session.

Presenter: Thomas Calcagni has more than 30 years of experience as a communications executive, broadcast journalist and senior adviser on Capitol Hill and is the author of Tough Questions - Good Answers: Taking Control of Any Interview. Calcagni began his career as a local television reporter and his reporting appeared frequently on CNN. He was also a news anchor and news director at network-affiliated and independent television stations and served as communications director for two former U.S.Senators, Robert T. Stafford of Vermont Chairman of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. He has been an executive at public relations and integrated marketing firms in Washington, DC and Seattle and was the most senior public relations executive at the National Office of the American Automobile Association (AAA), where he was responsible for strategic and crisis communications involving the national news media. He has been interviewed many times by local and national journalists, including live interviews with Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric, and testified before a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. Calcagni is the founder of Calcagni Media and holds degrees from Middlebury College and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Mentoring for Success

Presenter: Colonel Shirley Raguindin, Chief Diversity Officer, Air National Guard

The Six Thinking Hats

Description:Group process model for intact groups which meet over time to make meetings more efficient and effective.

Presenter: John M. Robinson was appointed Director of the Office of Civil Rights and Chief Diversity Officer for the Department of State in March, 2008. He serves as primary advisor to the Secretary of State and her senior leadership on EEO, diversity, affirmative employment, and related issues. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Robinson was the first Chief of EEO and Diversity for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and served in a similar role for the IRS from 2001 to 2005. Robinson was Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) from 1999 to 2001. His federal service began in 1994 as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Mr. Robinson has served in the Rhode Island Governor’s Cabinet as Director of the RI Department of Employment and Training and also as a senior dean at Brown University. A Vietnam-era veteran, he served as a naval officer aboard a destroyer and an ammunition ship, and earned the Navy Commendation Medal.

Full-Range Leadership: Transform Yourself and Transform the World

Description: Whether you are new to your career or are a seasoned pro, your continued success depends in large part on your ability to speak clearly and convincingly to one person or a thousand. As a former television news anchor, public relations consultant and media trainer, Tom will explain his easy to use method for developing communications messages for any situation, giving you the confidence and ability to present yourself or your organization in the best possible way. And he will show you how to use these messages to answer “Five Tricky Types of Questions” in order to take control of any interview or Q & A session.

Presenter: Thomas Calcagni has more than 30 years of experience as a communications executive, broadcast journalist and senior adviser on Capitol Hill and is the author of Tough Questions - Good Answers: Taking Control of Any Interview. Calcagni began his career as a local television reporter and his reporting appeared frequently on CNN. He was also a news anchor and news director at network-affiliated and independent television stations and served as communications director for two former U.S.Senators, Robert T. Stafford of Vermont Chairman of the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee, and Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. He has been an executive at public relations and integrated marketing firms in Washington, DC and Seattle and was the most senior public relations executive at the National Office of the American Automobile Association (AAA), where he was responsible for strategic and crisis communications involving the national news media. He has been interviewed many times by local and national journalists, including live interviews with Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric, and testified before a committee of the U.S. House of Representatives. Calcagni is the founder of Calcagni Media and holds degrees from Middlebury College and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Diversity Model for Success-Leadership Commitment and Diversity

Description: In a rapidly changing world, the ability to constantly refresh existing workforce approaches through new ideas and continuously improve processes and practices are indispensable leadership attributes. Through this course you will be provided an in depth discussion and appreciation on organizational Diversity and the leadership commitment required to succeed.

Presenter: James J. Braxton Sr. is a career Federal civil servant with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). James is currently the Chief, Office Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Headquarters (HQ), USACE, Washington, DC responsible for Command-wide Equal Employment Opportunity, Equal Opportunity,Diversity, and Sexual Harassment Assault Response Programs. James is responsible for a command program overseeing 9 Divisions, 44 Districts, and 4 Centers. He is the career program manager for approximately 125 EEO Specialist. He has served in a variety of positions to include Chief, EEO Office, Humphrey Engineer Center Support Activity, USACE located in Washington, D.C. and Alexandria, Virginia; Director, Office of EEO, U.S. Army Material Command, Aviation and Missile Command, Huntsville, Alabama; EEO Specialist, HQ, USACE, Washington, D.C.; Labor Relations Specialist and Acting EEO Manager, Headquarters, Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Senior Program Analyst, Weapons System Support Manager, and Employee Relations Specialist, Defense Supply Center Richmond, DLA, Richmond Virginia.

Building A Secure Future for Federal Employees

Description: Where financial literacy training programs have consistently failed is in the student’s ability to assimilate voluminous, complex data and then translate that into a personal action plan. The approach taken by Washington Retirement Planning Specialists in this training eliminates the possibility of failure/procrastination by giving each student a financial roadmap that serves as a basis for comprehension and action. You should walk away from this presentation with a roadmap for your financial future.

Presenter: G.B. Bose has over 22 years experience in the financial services industry. He also specializes in retirement issues for Federal Government employees. He currently advises many retired senior government executives about their financial planning. He is also a Life Member of Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC) and a Founding Member of FAPAC-Business Advisory Partnership. He actively serves pro-bono to enhance financial literacy in all Federal Government Agencies through free workshops, and as a Member of Financial Services Institute (FSI) Financial Advisor Council. He is a member of Financial Planning Association, and is listed with GLOBAL REGISTER’S WHO’S WHO, a prestigious registry of executives that can be found in the Library of Congress. G.B. holds the following Securities Registrations: 7, 24, 63 and 65. In addition, G.B. holds licenses for Life, Health and Disability Insurance. G.B. worked as a senior executive for two of Wall Street’s largest financial firms, and taught graduate students at Wharton, at the MBA level. After years of success, G.B. decided to leave the proprietary environment to join one of the largest groups of independent professionals in the nation. He is frequently invited to public forums as a guest speaker on topics dealing with retirement and estate planning.

Key Court Decisions on EEO

Description: This workshop will provide participants an overview of important EEO decisions ranging from the Supreme Court (Vance and Nassar, e.g.), to EEOC’s most significant Office of Federal Operations cases in the Federal Sector. Whether disability decisions now decided under the ADAAA, or the latest case processing information, this update will provide a summary of the latest cases from the EEO Digest, and address the lessons to be learned from each case discussed.

Presenter: Jo Linda Johnson joined TSA in November of 2013, after almost 13 years with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She is considered an expert on civil rights laws, the federal sector EEO process, issues of affirmative employment and affirmative action, and diversity. During her tenure with the Commission, Ms. Johnson served in several roles, including that of appellate attorney with the Office of Federal Operations (OFO), attorney advisor and then Branch Chief for the Affirmative Employment Division, Special Assistant to the Acting Vice Chair of the Commission, and Director of Training and Outreach. Ms. Johnson now serves as the Director of the Civil Rights office of TSA. She is a member of the board of directors for the Bar Association of the District of Columbia (BADC). She is also involved with the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law (LEL) Section, having been selected as a LEL Section Fellow in 2011. Prior to her federal service, Ms. Johnson served as a Judicial Clerk for the Superior Court of the State of Connecticut.

Dinner on your own

FAPAC General Membership Meeting (For Member)

Meet and Greet Event: Music, Snacks and Refreshements (Open to all attendees)

Instructor: Janet Silva
Start the day with yoga exercises

APA - A Place at the Table

Presenter: Christine Chen, the founding Executive Director from 2006-2008 returned to APIAVote in January 2011 to serve as its current Executive Director. During her tenure she had strengthened and expanded APIAVote's partners into 17 states. APIAVote’s research and polling of Asian American voters and their regional trainings and field programs have strengthened the local grassroots programs in reaching and mobilizing Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. Profiled by Newsweek magazine in 2001 as one of 15 women who will shape America’s new century, Chen served from 2001 to 2005 as national executive director of the Organization of Chinese Americans (OCA). Chen is well-known by activists across the county. Chen currently serves on the Kennedy Center Community Advisory Board, Center for Asian American Media, OCA Northern Virginia Chapter, and the advisory boards for the Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA), and CAPAL.

Presenter: Clarence Lam is the Delegate representing District 12 in the Maryland House of Delegates. He has a long record of making a difference for his community and constituents. His legislative experience has brought him to Capitol Hill, where he worked on health oversight investigations under Congressman Henry Waxman’s Oversight and Government Reform Committee. In Annapolis, he served on the legislative staff of Delegate Dan Morhaim. Clarence is a board-certified physician in preventive medicine at the the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health where he serves as the assistant program director of the preventive medicine residency program. Clarence earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland and has a master's degree in public health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland where he received his undergraduate degree in political science and biology.

Presenter: Mark Keam represents the 35th District in the Virginia House of Delegates. In November 2009, Mark was elected to an open seat, thereby becoming the first Asian-born immigrant to serve in the Virginia General Assembly. In the House, Mark serves on the powerful Courts of Justice Committee as well as on the Education, Finance, and Agriculture/Chesapeake/Natural Resources Committees. When the General Assembly is not in session, Mark serves as senior advisor in a technology company which he joined in early 2007 after twelve years of public service, in both executive and legislative branches of government. For six years, Mark was Chief Counsel to Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Before working on Capitol Hill, Mark was appointed Assistant Chief Counsel in the Office of Advocacy of the Small Business Administration, and had also served as an attorney with the Federal Communications Commission’s Wireless Bureau. Mark received a political science degree from the University of California at Irvine.

Presenter: Kriselda “Kris” Valderrama has represented the 26th District in the Maryland House of Delegates since 2007 and serves as the Deputy Majority Whip since 2011. Kris was born in Washington, DC and graduated from Salisbury State University with a BS in Respiratory Ttherapy in1996. She worked as a Certified Respiratory Therapist at Inova Fairfax Hospital and as a Strategic Communications Specialist at the Public Affairs Department, American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) since 2001. She has served as Anchor & Co-host, Valderrama's America since 1997. She also served as Chair, Asian Pacific American Democratic Caucus of Maryland.

Presenter: Lakshmi Sridaran is the Director of National Policy and Advocacy for South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT). Most recently she served as the Policy Director for The Praxis Project, a Washington-DC based national movement support organization. Lakshmi previously completed six years of work in New Orleans, Louisiana where she started as a community development specialist with Bright Moments public relations firm and Policy Link to produce findings and recommendations for improving federal contracting opportunities for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises after Hurricane Katrina. She concluded her time there as Director of Programs for Neighborhoods Partnership Network (NPN) where she was focused on building neighborhood organizational capacity among the over 100 NPN members, helping shape local advocacy campaigns on participatory budgeting, public school closings, and infrastructure improvement, linking these to state and federal policy efforts. Lakshmi holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from The University of California, Berkeley.

Presenter: Dr. Fred Soto is the Supervisory Manager for Employee Engagement, Diversity and Veterans Outreach at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of Energy. Dr. Fred Soto is a widely acclaimed strategist, innovator and leader of projects to improve people, process, and performance. Dr. Soto was invited by former Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director John Barry to instruct and guide his innovation: The Five Conversations: How leaders Release the Potential of People. Dr Soto is a multi-published author in the fields of Diversity, EEO and Strategic Leadership and has authored over 50 motivational presentations. Dr. Soto holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Regent University School of Global Leadership and Entrepreneurship. He also holds an MS in Human Resource Management. He has completed the Cornell University, Advanced Diversity Practitioner Certification and holds certifications in Equal Opportunity Management and Organizational Effectiveness. He is a licensed martial arts instructor and was inducted into the Florida Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Other accomplishments include being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for International Diversity Leadership and Training Excellence.

Moderator: Rahul M. Jindal, MD, PhD, MBA is currently a Staff Transplant Surgeon at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Professor of Surgery and Global Health at Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, (USU) Bethesda. Dr. Jindal recently received the Leadership Award by the “International Leadership Foundation”, Washington, DC, 2013. He also received the Outstanding American by choice award by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, 2013. The Governor of Maryland appointed Dr Jindal as Commissioner, Governor's Office on Service and Volunteerism, Maryland (2013). Dr. Jindal was also appointed as Commissioner to the Human Rights Commission, Montgomery County, Maryland (2014). Dr. Jindal was awarded the Fulbright-Nehru Distinguished Chair to carry out research and teaching in India (2015-2016) and is the recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for 2015.

Speaker: Dr. Gerald Quinnan, MD, RADM (Retired) has been on the faculty of USU, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics since 1993, and Chair of that Department since 2002. He has held appointments as Professor of Preventive Medicine, Medicine, Molecular and Cell Biology, and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He recently transitioned to the status of Professor Emeritus. He retired as a career Public Health Service Officer with background in regulation and public policy regarding vaccines and others biological products. The preponderance of Dr Quinnan’s research since joining faculty at USU has been focused on development of a vaccine against Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Medical specialty in internal medicine and adult infectious diseases. Research expertise in virology, vaccines, and clinical infectious disease research with emphasis on development of Global Health Program at USU.

Speaker: COL Roberto N. Nang, MD, US Army is the Joint Medical Chair for Global Health at National Defense University & Adjunct Professor, Global Health, Preventive Medicine & Biostatistics, USU. He graduated from the USMA, West Point in 1982 and in 1983, he graduated from the Army's Officer Rotary Wing Aviator Course. He obtained his MD from the University of Utah in 1987 and his Master of Public Health from the University of Washington. COL Nang is Board Certified in both General Preventive Medicine and Public Health, and Occupational Medicine. He obtained a Masters in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College in July 2010. COL Nang’s deployments include: CDR, B Co., 61st ASMB in Operation Restore Hope, Somalia, 1993; USCHPPM S.M.A.R.T. leader in Nicaragua, 1998 after Hurricane Mitch; and two tours in Iraq, 2004-2005 as the Division Surgeon of the 1st Cavalry Division and 2007-2008, as CDR of TF 31 (Combat Support Hospital Task Force). COL Nang's awards include the Bronze Star Medal (1 Oak Leaf Cluster), Meritorious Service Medal (3 Oak Leaf Clusters), ARCOM (2 Oak Leaf Clusters), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Korea Defense Service Medal, Humanitarian Service Medal, Army Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, the United Nations Special Service Medal and other service medals.

Speaker: COL Edwin Burkett, MD, USAF is the Director, Global Health Division, Assistant Professor, USU Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, USAF International Health Specialist. He holds both a regional and global special experience identifier as an Air Force International Health Specialist, is a flight surgeon, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Previously, Col Burkett served as Chief of Global Health at Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) and then at Air Combat Command (ACC) and successively. Colonel Burkett completed his Family Medicine residency at Malcolm Grow USAF Medical Center and had tours in Turkey and Panama. As Chief of the Medical Staff (SGH) in Panama he was responsible for clinical services delivery during the treaty transition in 1999. Subsequently he held clinical leadership positions at Charleston AFB and Whiteman Air Force Base. He has directed ACLS classes in Honduras, was medical staff on humanitarian missions to Zimbabwe and El Salvador, planned and led a mission to Haiti, and deployed as Air Force Detachment commander on CONTINUING PROMISE 2011. Dr Burkett continues in clinical care both for the Air Force and as a volunteer at a free clinic.

Speaker: LTC Brian U. Kim, DVM, US Army is an Assistant Professor, Global Health Division, USU Department of Preventive Medicine and Biometrics. He is a graduate of the Combined Arms and Services Staff School and Command and General Staff College. His awards and decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Meritorious Service Medal (with two oak leaf cluster), the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (with oak leaf cluster), the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Joint Meritorious Unit Award (with oak leaf cluster), the National Defense Service Medal (one bronze service star), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Korea Defense Service Medal. LTC Kim is a member of the Order of Military Medical Merit. In 1995, during veterinary graduate school, Lieutenant Colonel Brian U. Kim was selected for the Early Commissioning Program and commissioned a Second Lieutenant. He was later awarded a Health Professional Scholarship. LTC Kim is a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine.

Presentation of Colors: U.S. Coast Guard Color Guard

National Anthem Singer: Cara Kim is currently a junior in high school juggling her aspirations for college and fulfilling her dreams as a musician. With a jazz, pop style of singing she has performed at various local stages including Jammin' Java, Epicure Cafe, festivals, and the Lincoln Memorial. She recently embarked on her journey to Korea to further her dreams and came home with an abundance of experience.

Special Remarks: Clarence A. Johnson, in February 2003, was selected to the Senior Executive Service and assigned as Principal Director and Director for Civilian Equal Employment Opportunity, Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Equal Opportunity) at the Pentagon; the office was renamed in 2006 to the Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity. In that capacity, he is responsible for the development and coordination of diversity management and equal opportunities policies and programs affecting all DoD civilian employees and military personnel within DoD worldwide. He also provides staff supervision of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI), a 100-member institution, located at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, which is the premiere DoD school in equal opportunity and equal employment opportunity training, education and research. Mr. Johnson serves as principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel & Readiness) on diversity management, equal opportunity and equal employment opportunity matters.

Keynote Speaker: Anthony J. Stamilio is Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs for Civilian Personnel/Quality of Life. His portfolio includes Secretariat-level supervision and oversight for all policy, program and operations for approximately 300,000 Army Appropriated and Non-appropriated Fund personnel in the workforce. After nearly 30 years as an Army Officer, Stamilio became the Chief Administrative Officer for the United States Capitol Police Department, where he was responsible for all administrative and mission support operations. In February 2008, Tony returned to the Army as the Director of Strategic Planning for the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Recruiting and Retention and was responsible for the development and oversight of the execution of the Army’s integrated Marketing and Advertising Program for military recruiting. Mr. Stamilio then served as the Chief Human Capital Officer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He holds a MBA from University of New Hampshire and a BS degree from US Military Academy, West Point.

Special Remarks: Charmane S. Johnson is a twenty-year veteran of the Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Management Career Field. She joined the senior staff in the DoD’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (P&R), Office Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity (ODMEO), in January 2004. She serves as the Director for Federal Women, Asian, and Black Employment Policy for the DoD, ensuring fairness and equity in department-wide practices, policies, and programs that impact more than 700,000 civilian workers located in the U.S. and abroad. Mrs. Johnson publishes DoD-wide Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies that promote and strengthen the presence and participation of minorities and women in the DoD pipeline and key department positions. Mrs. Johnson also leads initiatives to support Minority Institutions of Higher Education, to include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions. Mrs. Johnson established the DoD Centralized Intern Program in 2007 and continues to lead component-wide initiatives, while mentoring students and guiding them into internships and permanent department positions

Awards Presentation: Grace Spence - President, FAPAC

Student Pathway Seminar - A Career in Public Service

Description: This free special Seminar is designed for students and will feature a panel of agency speakers to highlight some of the interesting careers in the federal government for high school and college students who are interested in public service. There will also be brief presentations by recruiters and representatives from agencies including State Department, USDA, FBI, FAA, VA, Intelligence Community, Defense agencies and others about career opportunities for young professionals.

Coordinator: John Kusano recently retired from a 35 year career with the US Forest Service from a position as a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Chief for Business Operations at the Forest Service Headquarters in Washington, DC focusing on Diversity and Inclusion Programs and Student Recruitment. Previously, he has held a number of positions with the Forest Service in various fields and in locations across the country, including: Division Director of the Human Capital Policy & Strategy Division of the Office of Human Capital Management at USDA involved with Department-wide programs in Human Resources Policy, Workforce Planning, and HR Accountability; Assistant Director for Human Resource Management with the USDA Forest Service with responsibilities for Workforce Planning, Recruitment, Employee Development and Human Resource Technology: and Director of Civil Rights in the Forest Service’s Southwestern Region (NM & AZ). John is a graduate of University of California at Santa Cruz and Berkeley and currently lives in the Washington, DC area He is also an independent consultant and serves on the board of the 1882 Foundation and the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership.

Speaker: Lina Woo serves as an Ethics Specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Office of Ethics, after completing a detail with the Chief Human Capital Officers Council working on HR University at OPM. She began Federal service with the Recruitment and Diversity Programs Division at USDA 4 years ago as a HR Specialist. After earning a degree in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, she devoted her career to serving students in public institutions of higher education. Her most recent position prior to joining the Federal service was with the University of California Center Sacramento, an academic center she helped to build bringing UC students to the Governor's Office for internships in public service. As an employment recruiter, Lina is certified as a Diversity Recruiter and Professional in Human Resources, and her community service includes working with national organizations such as Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education, the Conference on Asian Pacific American Leadership and the Cal Alumni Club of Washington DC. She founded the Asian Pacific American Systemwide Alliance (APASA) for Berkeley staff, faculty and students, long before employee affinity groups became popular in organizations

Speaker: Rena Cervoni is a Deputy Director in the Office of Attorney Recruitment and Management at the U.S. Department of Justice and oversees its attorney and law student recruitment and outreach programs. Ms. Cervoni joined the Department in 1998 to develop a Lateral Attorney Recruitment Program. She then shifted gears and, from 2002-2014, her work focused on determining the suitability of attorneys and law students hired by the Department. Ms. Cervoni co-developed a Department-wide mentor program for attorneys, and she provides training on interview skills, mentoring, and resume preparation. She speaks at law schools and conferences about the Department’s legal recruitment programs and its suitability review process. Prior to joining the Department, Ms. Cervoni served as Assistant Director of the Office of Career Planning at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and then as the first Associate Director of Placement and Career Services at the Washington and Lee University School of Law. She received her J.D. from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law and her B.A., cum laude, from Muhlenberg College.

Veteran's Empowerment Seminar

Description: Veterans, Military, and Family members will learn about the eligibility, enrollment, and service of the Veterans Health Administration. Also on the panel, participants will learn about Vet Center. The Vet Center are the people in VA who welcome home war veterans with honor by providing quality readjustment counseling in a caring manner. Vet Centers understand and appreciate Veterans' war experiences while assisting them and their family members toward a successful post-war adjustment in or near their community. There the participants will learn about the array from the VA Benefits Administration from claims, E Benefits, 911 GI Bill and other services provided by the VA. Continuing the VA services, the National Cemetery will make a presentation on the Cemetery Services, Headstones, and Presidential Certificates and much more.

VA 101: VA Benefits and Services (1:45 PM - 3:00 PM)
VA 102: VA for Veterans and Jobs (3:30 PM - 5:00 PM)

Coordinator: Ronald Sagudan joined the Center for Minority Veterans as a Program Analyst in April 2007. He serves as the Center’s Veteran Liaison for the Asian American /Pacific Islander American veterans’ community. As Liaison for the Asian American /Pacific Islander American veteran’s community, he is constantly engaged in different events that promote cultural diversity. He also identifies issues that affect Asian American /Pacific Islander Americans. Before coming to the Department of Veterans Affairs, Mr. Sagudan worked for several healthcare organizations. These agencies include: Integrated Health Services, Inc., The American Red Cross, and HCIA- Sachs, and Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic. Mr. Sagudan is the son of retired United States Navy Vietnam Veteran, the nephew of Philippines Scout, and grandson of a World War II Filipino Veteran. He has been an active member of several organizations in the Asian American/Pacific Islander community.

Speaker: Gregory Winston joined the United States Marine Corps in February 1976, as a Crash Fire and Rescue man, serving tours of duty in Cherry Point, NC and Okinawa, Japan. He was honorably discharged from the Marines in February 1980, and subsequently joined the U.S. Army in June 1980, where he trained as a Chemical Nuclear Biological Defense Specialist. During his Army career he served tours in Germany, Fort Bliss, TX, Fort Hood Texas, Fort Story, VA, Fort Bragg, NC, Korea, in the 82nd Airborne Corps, and Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. After working in the private sector for five years he joined the Federal service in March 2001 as a clerk in the Instructor Management Branch at ROTC Cadet Command at Fort Monroe, VA. In 2005, he became the Human Resource Assistant for the Professor of Military Science at Howard University in Washington, DC. In 2006, he accepted a position as a Human Resource Specialist in Line of Duty Investigations, Casualty and Mortuary Affairs where he was promoted to Program Officer, in charge of the Department of the Army line of Duty Investigation program responsible for ensuring the initiation of benefits for Army, Army Reserve, and National Guard Soldiers who were killed or injured during combat operations and others on active duty world-wide. During base realignment, he served as an Employee Relations Specialist at the Census Bureau until he was hired at the National Cemetery Administration (NCA). At the NCA, he serves as the National Special Emphasis Program Coordinator, and the NCA VACO Minority Veterans Program Coordinator. Mr. Winston has a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from Saint Leo University and has performed collateral duties as the Affinity Program Manager at the Census Bureau and Equal Opportunity Officer while in the Army.

Speaker: Julian A. Wright began his VA career at the Baltimore Regional Office in 2001, where he worked as a Veterans Service Representative. With many years of experience processing compensation and pension claims, Julian mentored new Veterans Service Representative employees. In November 2005, Julian began to work at the Washington VA Medical Center as a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist. Julian was instrumental in developing the Supported Employment Program, which assisted Veterans who were diagnosed with a severe mental illness (SMI) find and maintain employment in the community. He later became the Mentor Trainer for the three VA Medical Centers (Baltimore, Martinsburg, and Perry Point) in Veterans Integrated Network (VISN) 5. Julian also assisted OIF/OEF Veterans who were diagnosed with PTSD and traumatic brain injuries find and maintain private sector and government employment. In August 2010, Julian joined VBAVACO Benefits Assistance Service (BAS) staff, where he currently serves as the manager of the Foreign Services Program. Julian earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services Administration from the University of Baltimore in 2000 and a Master of Science degree in Human Services Administration with a minor in Rehabilitation Counseling in 2004.

Coordinator: Peter Nguyen, Vice President for Operations, FAPAC and Kevin Le, Treasurer, FAPAC

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Margareth J. Bennett is currently with the National Institute of Health as the Director, Institute and Center Services Division. Prior to joining the NIH, Ms. Bennett worked for the Small Business Administration, where she served as the Assistant Administrator for Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights Compliance. Ms. Bennett has worked for several Federal agencies, to name a few: Department of Veteran Affairs; Department of Treasury; Internal Revenue Service; Department of the Army; Department of Defense; and the U.S. Coast Guard in a myriad of positions from EEO Counselor up to Management. Ms. Bennett is committed and a life time civil servant, she has been with the Federal government for 34 years 27 of those years has been in the Equal Opportunity, Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights field. Ms. Bennett is the proud mother of two sons, and the grandmother of four beautiful grandchildren.

John W. Burden is a member of the Senior Executive Service and he serves as the Chief Diversity Officer at the Department of the Interior. A recognized expert on diversity and inclusion, John has been interviewed and quoted by many leading national publications and organizations, including the New York Times, Washington Post, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals. He has received several recognitions for his achievements in the field of diversity, most notably the esteemed President of the United States’ Meritorious Service Medal. John is professionally certified by the Human Resources Certification Institute - the credentialing arm of the Society of Human Resources Management - as a Senior Professional in Human Resources. His formal education includes a BS in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University, and an MA in Human Resources Management from Webster University.

Debra Chew has over 16 years of EEO, diversity, and civil rights experience in the public and private sectors. She joined the National Institutes of Health as the Director of EDI (formerly the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management) in July of 2012. Prior to her appointment, Debra worked for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) starting in 2009 as the Executive Director of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion serving as the Chief Diversity Officer and Chief Civil Rights Officer. Due to her groundbreaking accomplishments, she was selected as the IRS Human Capital Officer in 2011 where she led 1,600 Human Capital professionals in supporting IRS workforce (over 100,000 geographically dispersed employees) and IRS stakeholders through progressive human capital services and solutions. Prior to her appointment to the IRS, Debra served as the Acting Chief Diversity Officer for the Food & Drug Administration and before that the Director of the EEO complaint and reasonable accommodation programs. Due to her accomplishments, she was recognized by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael Levitt for her significant achievement in improving the quality and efficiency of EEO complaint processing throughout HHS and was awarded the HHS Award for Excellence in Management in January 2009, the highest award for leadership at the Department. She was a senior attorney in the HHS Office of the General Counsel where she litigated employment related disputes for all HHS Operating Divisions. A graduate of the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, she subsequently attended the American University, Washington College of Law where she earned her Juris Doctorate. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Georgia and currently resides in Rockville, Maryland.

Dr. David Chien currently works at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the Deputy Director of Policy and Plans. At FAA, his office provides key cost benefit analysis for all rules and regulations at the FAA, and develops advanced technical and analytical aviation forecasts that are used by the FAA and aviation community for infrastructure planning and development at the airport and overall National Airspace level. He received his PhD, in Energy Management and Policy Analysis at the University of Pennsylvania, and his M.S. in Mineral Economics from Penn State University. He previously worked at the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) as the Assistant Director of the Office of Advanced Studies. While employed by the U.S. Dept. of Energy (USDOE), Energy Information Administration for ten years, Dr. Chien, developed the pioneering National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) Transportation Model, which was used to develop estimates of tax incentives for electric hybrid sales, evaluate fuel tax policies, and at the request of the White House to calculate the first U.S. estimates of greenhouse gas emissions for the Interagency Task Force on Climate Change (IAT) in order to develop polices to meet the International Kyoto Protocol Agreements.

Dr. David K. Chin is the Director of Performance Analysis in the Air Traffic Organization at the Federal Aviation Administration. He’s responsible for developing metrics to measure and report on the operational performance of the National Airspace System (NAS). His office also conducts modeling and simulations to evaluate airport, airspace and NAS- Wide operational improvements, economic impact studies, aviation industry trend analysis, and international performance benchmark studies. He serves as the chairman for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) North Atlantic Economics, Financial and Forecast Group and is the Co-Chair of the Performance Analysis Review Commission with the European Commission. Dr. Chin joined the FAA as a Federal Executive in 2000 and has served as Chief Scientist for Investment Analysis, Director of Business Planning, Director of Strategy, and Director of Performance Analysis. Prior to his FAA career, he worked in various technical and managerial positions in the private sector with companies like Martin Marietta, Lockheed Martin, and TRW. He received his B.A., M.Phil., and PhD economic degrees from the George Washington University.

Vice Admiral Lewis W. Crenshaw USN (Ret) is Founder and Principal at Crenshaw Consulting Associates LLC which provides advice and counsel in strategic planning, executive coaching and organizational restructuring. A native of Greenville, AL, Vice Adm. (ret) Crenshaw graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1974 with a BS in Ocean Engineering. He earned his Naval Flight Officer wings in Pensacola, Fla. in1975 and went on to become Deputy Commander, US Naval Forces Europe and Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Resources, Requirements and Assessments. He has been with Grant Thornton LLP as National Industry Leader, Aerospace and Defense. He has held several senior leadership positions in defense and intelligence industry. He was elected as a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration.

Cynthia D. Dunn joined the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Headquarters (HQ), Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) division, Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Washington, DC as the EDI Director on July 25, 2004. Prior to TE/GE, Cynthia served as the Senior EEO Specialist for the IRS, Large and Mid-Size Business (LMSB) division, December 2000 – July 2004. Cynthia also served as the Acting EEO Director for LMSB (several occasions) and the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Services (TAS), March-June 2003. Cynthia started her Federal government career in 1980 as a GS-01 Clerk Typist in the Stay-in-School Program. She began her career in the field of EEO and Diversity in 1992. Cynthia attended the University of Maryland College Park and the European Division, Nuernberg, West Germany. She is an active member of the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC).

Dr. James C. Meng is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Enterprise Business Solutions, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy, FMC. Dr. Meng entered the Senior Executive Service in June 1998 He served as Executive Director, Warfare Systems Engineering Directorate, SEA06B, Washington, DC, and also Chief Systems Engineer, the Navy’s certifying authority of the Strike Force Interoperability from July 2005 – February 2009, where he held responsibilities in warfare systems. He entered the Senior Executive Service in June 1998. From 2003 to June 2005, he was dual-hatted as the NAVSEA Warfare Centers Work Assignment Executive, and the NAVSEA Warfare Centers Business Executive. In those capacities, he oversaw assignment of $6 billion annually to more than 25,000 man-years of government and contract work across eight Divisions and 11 geographic sites. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, from January 2000 to March 2003 and Head, Undersea Weapons Technology Department, Newport, Rhode Island from 1994 to 1999.

Samuel Mok is the Managing Member of Condor International Advisors, LLC, a Washington DC based management consulting firm providing innovative business relationship management and business advisory services. He served as the CFO of the U.S. Department of Labor from 2001 to 2007 under President George W. Bush. Previously he served as Managing Member of Condor Consulting LLC, Comptroller and the first career CFO of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Foreign Service Officer, and Captain in the U.S. Army. Additionally, he was the Director of Accounting for Time-Life Books and Treasurer of U.S. News and World Report. Mr. Mok received his BS in Accounting from Fordham University and a M.A. in Accounting from The Catholic University of America. He is a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM), a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and is also a Certified Internal Control Auditor (CICA).

Giao Phan assumed duties as the Executive Director for the Program Executive Office, Aircraft Carriers in August 2013. As the Senior Civilian Official, she is responsible for oversight and management of military and civilian personnel and charged with executing a $40 billion acquisition portfolio that includes design and construction of FORD Class Aircraft Carriers, execution of mid-life refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) for NIMITZ Class Aircraft Carriers, inactivation of ENTERPRISE (CVN 65), and life cycle support for all in-service Aircraft Carriers. Following selection for the Senior Executive Service, Ms. Phan served as the Coast Guard Deputy Director of Acquisition Programs from November 2007 until July 2013, responsible for over 400 military and civilian personnel that included twelve major, multi-billion dollar acquisition projects and seven Program Manager’s Resident Offices. Ms. Phan began her civil service career with the Navy in 1984. Her awards include the Coast Guard Superior Achievement Award (2013), the FAPAC Outstanding Individual Leadership Award (2013), the Women of Color STEM Career Achievement in Government Award (2010), the Navy Superior Civilian Service Award (2006), and the Navy Meritorious Civilian Award (2004). She earned her undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1981, and received an MS in Management from the Florida Institute of Technology in 1997.

Dr. Muquarrab Ahmed Qureshi is a Senior Executive at USDA and serves as Deputy Director, Institute of Youth, Family, and Community, in the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Prior to joining USDA, Dr. Qureshi served as a Professor of Immunology, the Director of Interdisciplinary Graduate Program of Physiology, Director of Graduate Program of Poultry Science, and the Associate Dean of the Graduate School at North Carolina State University (NCSU). During his time at NCSU, Dr. Qureshi received several national outstanding teaching awards. He also authored 115peer- reviewed scientific publications, and mentored 20 MS and PhD students. Dr. Qureshi was a Fulbright Scholar and has carried out several invited international assignments through the United Nations or the US Government. He is also a Fellow of Poultry Science Association. In 2003 Dr. Qureshi joined USDA’s Cooperative State, Research, Education, and Extension Service as a National Program Leader. Prior to his current position as the Deputy Director of the Institute of Youth, Family, and Community, Dr. Qureshi served as the Director of the Division of Animal Systems within NIFA’s Institute of Food Production and Sustainability. Dr. Qureshi has a DVM and M.Sc. degrees from Pakistan and a PhD in Immunogenetics and Immunotoxicology from Cornell University

Michael Spencer was selected to the Senior Executive Service in June 2009 to serve as the Deputy Chief Engineer (DCHENG), SPAWAR 5.0. As the DCHENG, he provides technical direction and oversight for all SPAWAR engineering efforts to ensure timely delivery of interoperable, affordable, and supportable Command, Control, Communications, Computers for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) and Information Operations (IO) warfare, combat, combat support, business and information technology systems and services. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Spencer was the Director of Operations and Deputy Executive Director for Enterprise Integration at the Joint Program Executive Office (JPEO) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS), where he provided leadership and focus on Joint program interdependencies from both a technical and an acquisition standpoint. Mr. Spencer began his professional career working in industry as a software engineer developing commercial applications. Mr. Spencer joined SPAWAR in 1996 and is a graduate of NAVAIR’s Senior Executive Management Development Program (SEMDP) and the Federal Executive Institute (FEI). He is a member of the Acquisition Professional Community and is DAWIA Level III certified in Program Management and SPRDE. His personal awards include the Superior Civil Service Award and three Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

Hai Tran draws on over twenty-five years of industry knowledge and experience to provide the corporate vision and strategy that has led Veracity Engineering to become the company it is today. With annual revenues of $35 million and contract backlog exceeding $160 million, Veracity Engineering has become one of the industry leaders in aviation research and development and communications engineering. Prior to founding Veracity Engineering, Mr. Tran was personally responsible for the management of several large scale and highly visible programs for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), providing program management and systems engineering support for mission-critical air traffic control communication, surveillance, and flight planning systems. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Tran was the principal technical consultant to Nextel International, responsible for the Radio Frequency (RF) design and implementation of the cellular/trunk radio system for the entire metro Manila, Philippines. Mr. Tran is an active supporter and sponsor of various non-profit organizations that promote diversity and leadership training, including the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA), National Asian & Pacific American Association (NAPA), and the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC). Mr. Tran holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Victoria Wei currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Office of Airport Planning and Programming in the Office of Airports at the Federal Aviation Administration. She has over 18 years of experience in the transportation and aviation sectors, including with the DOT and the FAA as well as two private legal practices (Morrison Foerster, where she served as legal counsel for airport clients, industry associations and other private-sector clients; and Galland Kharasch, a boutique aviation law firm in Washington, DC). Victoria has extensive experience in implementing legislative provisions and programs in a complex organizational environment. She also has a significant background in dispute resolution, budget planning and controls, organizational performance management and employee engagement strategies as well as working effectively with oversight and audit agencies. After taking her undergraduate degree from Harvard University and her law degree from Northwestern University, Victoria began her professional career as a DOT Honors Attorney, which included rotations with several parts of DOT including the FAA. She then spent two more years with the FAA as a Legislative Attorney before spending four years in private practice. She returned to the FAA in 2007 and worked five more years in AGC before joining the NextGen Office in a series of progressively responsible positions, serving most recently as the Director, NextGen Performance and Outreach, before joining the Airports Office in February 2015.

Courtney L. Wilkerson serves as the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Deputy Assistant Administrator for Civil Rights. He is responsible for advising the Administrator and senior management on civil rights, equal employment opportunities, diversity and inclusion, and work life balance. He assists the Agency in creating and ensuring a healthy workplace environment that supports and encourages contributions from a multi-faceted employee base, and utilizes many avenues to eradicate discrimination both for FAA’s employees and customers. Courtney’s entire career is dedicated to ensuring accessibility, opportunity, and advancement for everyone. Prior to joining the FAA, Courtney served as the Civil Rights Director and advisor to the Under Secretary for Rural Development, a multi-billion dollar Agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He was also the Chief Adjudicator within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.In his professional mission to mitigate fraud and abuse within the Food Stamp Program, he was the Chief Administrative Review Officer with responsibilities to conduct administrative hearings and appeals for a $70 billion annual program. Courtney is originally from Compton, California and holds a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law and a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice degree from Florida A&M University.

Exposing and Eliminating Micro Aggressions and Inequities in Multicultural Workplace

Description: This course will define and give examples of the concepts of Micro aggressions and inequities to help individuals expose and eliminate subtle acts of racism, sexism and bias in a multicultural work environment that slowly under mind, devalue, discourage and impair performance in the workplace.

Presenters: Donna Walker-Ross, U.S. Coast Guard & Damien Terry is the Diversity Outreach Manager for the United States Coast Guard. In this capacity he manages the Diversity Outreach Program for the U.S. Coast Guard with the purpose of establishing and sustaining partnerships on a national level with organizations, schools and communities that support the Coast Guard Commandant's diversity initiatives. In Damien’s tenure at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), he was Instrumental in developing and implementing NIAID’s diversity outreach strategies by successfully building strong relationships and networks with the NIH Special Emphasis Committees and Affinity Groups, as well as with scientific and professional minority organizations and associations. In addition, he was heavily involved in NIAID’s MD-715 action plan, advertising efforts, reporting diversity needs at both the NIAID and DHHS level, and has attended, organized and executed university and professional events on the NIH’s campus and around the United States. He is a member of several professional organizations such as American Society for Microbiologist and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is most proud of his membership in Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. were he has serves as the 1st vice president of the Alpha Sigma Chapter based in Washington, DC.

New IQ: Game Changer Course - Part I

Description: The New IQ training provides participants a variety of skills, knowledge, and insights to work better as a team. Specifically, the New IQ Explores how our understandings of intelligence, leadership, and inclusion have evolved and intersected to create a new level of intelligence that is critical for leaders in this new millennium; Explores the Inclusive mindset (Fairness, Openness, Cooperativeness, Supportiveness, and Empowering) and the deliberate intelligence (seek and include diverse and contrasting points of view) necessary to think, learn and lead in the 21st century; Delves into why we tend to not expand the circle of perspectives that can inform our intelligence even when it seems like common sense to do so; Examines why we resist seeking and including diverse and contrasting perspectives even when it is in the best interest of our own intelligence and why leaders in the global marketplace of the 21st century cannot be intelligent if they are not inclusively intelligent.; Illustrates how inclusive intelligence in action has dramatic positive impact with examples of how leaders from all walks of life have used collective and inclusive intelligence to transform themselves, their teams, their organizations and even their countries;. Underscores how the stickiness of the Old IQ fights the active engagement of your New IQ; Presents tested solutions for inclusive intelligence that can be implemented by individual leaders and/or organizations to think, learn, and lead for maximum impact.

Presenter: Bruce Stewart retired as a Lt Colonel from the United States Air Force in October 2007, after 23 years of service. During his service he was attached to the Special Forces, served as a Management Engineer, and was a Computer and Communications Commander. His last assignment was as the Air National Guard’s (ANG) Director of Cultural Diversity Transformation. Bruce has served and been involved in numerous Leadership and Diversity initiatives at the local, state, and national levels. He has lectured on diversity at several leading educational institutions including MIT, University of Kansas, the Naval NCO Academy, and Harvard. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Friends University. He has also completed course requirements for a PhD in Organizational Development. Bruce is and has been an Adjunct Professor for the past 17 years and recently completed a book on diversity leadership titled, “Cultural Leadership: The New Chemistry of Leading Differently.” And, he has a second book scheduled to publish this summer titled, “Diversitopia: Creating the World of Tomorrow by Thinking Differently Today.”

Leadership: Are You Ready

Description: Robust titles, grade levels and corner offices do not necessarily equate to genuine leadership. Consequently, no one is born a leader; however, leaders are in fact born. The truth is that leaders evolve over a period of time with teaching, coaching, mentoring, studying and experience through implementation. The question becomes, are you ready to take on the challenges of leadership? Oliver, a retired Army veteran and senior EEO Official will draw from his 27 years of leadership and management experience to navigate you through the 5-Ps of the Leadership Dynamics Matrix (Purpose, Persuasion, Potential, Power, Production). He will also facilitate participants in interactive discussion, simulated exercises, and leadership style tools. Participants will learn their leadership styles and have a better understanding of what it takes to be a dynamic and effective leader.

Presenter: Oliver C. Allen, Jr., a native of Washington, DC and a retired Army veteran, is the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Oliver is a renowned and dynamic national speaker with over 27 years of leadership and training experience. He has served in numerous senior leadership positions with the military and Federal sector. He is also an adjunct faculty member with the University of Phoenix with a focus on advanced career development and organizational management. He is the recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Equal Employment Opportunity and the Justice Management Division’s Leadership Collaboration Award. As a national speaker, Oliver infuses his audiences with storytelling, simulated exercises and life experiences to ignite interactive discussions and learning. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Strayer University and a Master of Science in Administration in Human Resources from Central Michigan University.

Understanding Individual Personality Types Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) Assessment

Description: Attendees will have an opportunity to complete The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) assessment, and be given a profile report containing their MBTI four-letter type code that they will use while the presenter lectures on the aspects of the MBTI. The MBTI is the most widely used personality assessment in the world. With a proven record of reliability spanning more than 50 years. The use of the MBTI offers a foundation for understanding individual differences and applying that understanding to the ways people think, communicate, and interact. Versatile and dependable, the MBTI tool sets the stage for lifelong learning and development in the area of interpersonal communication.

Presenter: Steven W. Dickerson, LMSW is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a retired U.S. Marine with active military service near the end of the Viet Nam War. While serving as an aviation mechanic in a Harrier (AV8-A) Squadron of the US Marines, Steven was involved in an aviation accident where he sustained injuries to his back, knees, and eyes that left him legally blind. These injuries eventually forced his medical retirement from active military service. After Blind Rehabilitation training he returned to college where he earned an undergraduate degree in legal studies, and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Steven is a licensed master’s level social worker, and has extensive training as a dispute resolution practitioner. Prior to Steven’s civil service career he worked 15 years of private practice as a dispute resolution practitioner and trauma counselor. Steven has held employment positions with the Department of The Navy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the US Forest Service. Steven holds active membership with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, the National Association of Social Workers, and The Association for Conflict Resolution.

Afternoon Break. Feel free to visit the exhibits!

Expanding the Narrative of Inclusion in the Federal Sector: LGBT+

Description: This session will provide attendees with information necessary to achieve the objective of creating a positive and inclusive environment for all. Participants will be provided with an overview of the discrimination faced by LGBTs in the federal workplace and acceptable terminology to use when referring to LGBT employees. Participants will also be provided with tools and knowledge they can use to make the workplace more inclusive for LGBT Individuals.

Presenter: Matthew B. Murphy is the Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity at the U.S. EEOC where he oversees the Agency’s Complaint Processing Division and Affirmative Employment Division. Mr. Murphy is a founding member of EEOC PRIDE, the founding member and President of FEDQ, a national LGBT government employee organization, and Board member of Federal Employees with Disabilities (FEDs). Mr. Murphy is a graduate of Cleveland State University where he earned a BA in Anthropology, and the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where he earned his Jurist Doctorate, both in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. During law school, Mr. Murphy was the recipient of numerous academic scholarships and honors, including awards for excellence in the study of Civil Procedure, Securities Regulations and Contracts, the Samuel H. and Maria Miller Pro Bono Fellowship, and the Judge Nancy A. Fuerst Award for Academic Excellence. During law school, Mr. Murphy served as a research assistant, and later a graduate assistant, to Professor April Cherry. In 2011, when he still qualified, Mr. Murphy was named one of the nation’s top LGBT Lawyers Under 40 by the LGBT Bar Association.

New IQ: Game Changer Course - Part II

Description: The New IQ training provides participants a variety of skills, knowledge, and insights to work better as a team. Specifically, the New IQ Explores how our understandings of intelligence, leadership, and inclusion have evolved and intersected to create a new level of intelligence that is critical for leaders in this new millennium; Explores the Inclusive mindset (Fairness, Openness, Cooperativeness, Supportiveness, and Empowering) and the deliberate intelligence (seek and include diverse and contrasting points of view) necessary to think, learn and lead in the 21st century; Delves into why we tend to not expand the circle of perspectives that can inform our intelligence even when it seems like common sense to do so; Examines why we resist seeking and including diverse and contrasting perspectives even when it is in the best interest of our own intelligence and why leaders in the global marketplace of the 21st century cannot be intelligent if they are not inclusively intelligent.; Illustrates how inclusive intelligence in action has dramatic positive impact with examples of how leaders from all walks of life have used collective and inclusive intelligence to transform themselves, their teams, their organizations and even their countries;. Underscores how the stickiness of the Old IQ fights the active engagement of your New IQ; Presents tested solutions for inclusive intelligence that can be implemented by individual leaders and/or organizations to think, learn, and lead for maximum impact.

Presenter: Bruce Stewart retired as a Lt Colonel from the United States Air Force in October 2007, after 23 years of service. During his service he was attached to the Special Forces, served as a Management Engineer, and was a Computer and Communications Commander. His last assignment was as the Air National Guard’s (ANG) Director of Cultural Diversity Transformation. Bruce has served and been involved in numerous Leadership and Diversity initiatives at the local, state, and national levels. He has lectured on diversity at several leading educational institutions including MIT, University of Kansas, the Naval NCO Academy, and Harvard. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Friends University. He has also completed course requirements for a PhD in Organizational Development. Bruce is and has been an Adjunct Professor for the past 17 years and recently completed a book on diversity leadership titled, “Cultural Leadership: The New Chemistry of Leading Differently.” And, he has a second book scheduled to publish this summer titled, “Diversitopia: Creating the World of Tomorrow by Thinking Differently Today.”

A Disruptive Innovation – Getting More for Less

Description: It’s a known fact as government agency, innovation can become stale. In today’s environment, if we are standing still and not moving forward, even as a technical agency as NASA, we can be left behind. We are constantly asked to do more with less in our organization. This workshop will introduce the concept of “disruptive innovation”, provide information example for participants to use on being a new CHANGE AGENT and LEADER for your organization/agency.

Presenter: Sophia Mao Smith, P.E., is a member of the Payload Software Engineering & Integration team in the International Space Station Program Office (ISSPO) at NASA. Sophia’s 30-year history at Johnson Space Center started with the Space Shuttle Program included software engineer, industrial engineer, reliability engineer and Flight Training Load manager. In 1997, Sophia transitioned to the ISSPO, where she held various positions such as senior systems engineer, NASA manifest and crew provisioning lead, executive intern for the Office of the Center Director, detail to NASA Headquarters and technical lead on the Source Evaluation Board. Sophia received a Master of Science in Technical Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and BS in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University. Sophia was born and raised in Taiwan and came to U.S. when she was 14. She has been actively involved in Asian Pacific American activities since 1988 with JSC's Asian Pacific American Council and served as Co-Chair in 1991. Besides being active in the Asian community, Sophia was also active in the wider community. She was elected to the Clear Creek Independence School District board of trustee in 1995 and served as the president of the board in 1998. Sophia was honored by the OCA-Greater Houston Chapter as an Outstanding Asian-Pacific American Employee for 2012.

Understanding Individual Personality Types Using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) Assessment

Description: Attendees will have an opportunity to complete The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) assessment, and be given a profile report containing their MBTI four-letter type code that they will use while the presenter lectures on the aspects of the MBTI. The MBTI is the most widely used personality assessment in the world. With a proven record of reliability spanning more than 50 years. The use of the MBTI offers a foundation for understanding individual differences and applying that understanding to the ways people think, communicate, and interact. Versatile and dependable, the MBTI tool sets the stage for lifelong learning and development in the area of interpersonal communication.

Presenter: Steven W. Dickerson, LMSW is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a retired U.S. Marine with active military service near the end of the Viet Nam War. While serving as an aviation mechanic in a Harrier (AV8-A) Squadron of the US Marines, Steven was involved in an aviation accident where he sustained injuries to his back, knees, and eyes that left him legally blind. These injuries eventually forced his medical retirement from active military service. After Blind Rehabilitation training he returned to college where he earned an undergraduate degree in legal studies, and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. Steven is a licensed master’s level social worker, and has extensive training as a dispute resolution practitioner. Prior to Steven’s civil service career he worked 15 years of private practice as a dispute resolution practitioner and trauma counselor. Steven has held employment positions with the Department of The Navy, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the US Forest Service. Steven holds active membership with the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, the National Association of Social Workers, and The Association for Conflict Resolution.

Instructor: Janet Silva
Start the day with yoga exercises

EEOC Forum - Grass and Bamboo Ceiling

Guest Speaker: Chandra S. Bhatnagar is a Senior Attorney Advisor to Chair Jenny R. Yang of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Chandra joins the Office of the Chair after spending the past decade as a Senior Staff Attorney in the Human Rights Program of the American Civil Liberties Union where he led the program’s litigation and strategic policy advocacy on racial justice and immigrants’ rights issues. Prior to joining the ACLU, Chandra was a Staff Attorney and Skadden Fellow with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, where he directed the South Asian Workers' Project for Human Rights, a community-based project providing legal services to low-wage workers from South Asia. Previously, he was the Assistant Director of Columbia University's "Bringing Human Rights Home Project," where he worked to improve conditions affecting post 9-11 detainees and efforts to organize a coalition of human rights defenders in the U.S. Chandra has also worked internationally, partnering with a leading NGO in India in applying human rights standards to their anti-child labor/ bonded labor campaigns, and domestically with the Center for Constitutional Rights, where he did immigrants' rights and police accountability work, and served as the interim director of the Ella Baker Summer Intern Program. He received a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and an LL.M. with a focus in international human rights from Columbia Law School.

Moderator: Oliver C. Allen, Jr., a native of Washington, DC and a retired Army veteran, is the Equal Employment Opportunity Officer for the Drug Enforcement Administration. Oliver is a renowned and dynamic national speaker with over 27 years of leadership and training experience. He has served in numerous senior leadership positions with the military and Federal sector. He is also an adjunct faculty member with the University of Phoenix with a focus on advanced career development and organizational management. He is the recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Equal Employment Opportunity and the Justice Management Division’s Leadership Collaboration Award. As a national speaker, Oliver infuses his audiences with storytelling, simulated exercises and life experiences to ignite interactive discussions and learning. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Strayer University and a Master of Science in Administration in Human Resources from Central Michigan University.

Panelist: Dr. Zina Sutch is the Director, Diversity, Recruitment, and Work/Life Division, Office of Human Resource Management, United States Department of Agriculture since 2013. Previously she has served as Deputy Director, Surveys and Investigations, U.S. House of Representatives and as Deputy Provost, Virtual University and Chief Training Officer at USDA. She holds a doctorate degree from University of Maryland College Park and MA degree from The George Washington University.

Panelist: Debra Chew has over 16 years of EEO, diversity, and civil rights experience in the public and private sectors. She joined the National Institutes of Health as the Director of EDI (formerly the Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management) in July of 2012. Prior to her appointment, Debra worked for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) starting in 2009 as the Executive Director of the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion serving as the Chief Diversity Officer and Chief Civil Rights Officer. Due to her groundbreaking accomplishments, she was selected as the IRS Human Capital Officer in 2011 where she led 1,600 Human Capital professionals in supporting IRS workforce (over 100,000 geographically dispersed employees) and IRS stakeholders through progressive human capital services and solutions. Prior to her appointment to the IRS, Debra served as the Acting Chief Diversity Officer for the Food & Drug Administration and before that the Director of the EEO complaint and reasonable accommodation programs. Due to her accomplishments, she was recognized by Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael Levitt for her significant achievement in improving the quality and efficiency of EEO complaint processing throughout HHS and was awarded the HHS Award for Excellence in Management in January 2009, the highest award for leadership at the Department. She was a senior attorney in the HHS Office of the General Counsel where she litigated employment related disputes for all HHS Operating Divisions. A graduate of the University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, she subsequently attended the American University, Washington College of Law where she earned her Juris Doctorate. She is licensed to practice law in the state of Georgia and currently resides in Rockville, Maryland.

Presenter: Steve Shih serves at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in the position of Deputy Associate Director for Senior Executive Services and Performance Management. In this capacity, Mr. Shih leads OPM’s office responsible for managing the overall Federal personnel program relating to the Senior Executive Service (SES) and other senior profes­sionals. Mr. Shih is also responsible for providing Government-wide leadership to agencies in general for all Federal employees with respect to performance management, awards, leadership development, and work-life and wellness programs. Prior to his appointment at OPM, Mr. Shih was employed at the U.S. Department of Home­land Security where he served in the position of Deputy Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Officer for Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Diversity Programs, and also served in an acting capacity as the Officer for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Previously Mr. Shih served as the EEO Director at OPM and before that was employed at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Washington Field Office, where he served as an Administrative Judge and later as the Chief Administrative Judge. Mr. Shih received a Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Washington University School of Law.

OPM Diversity & Inclusion Forum

Faciliator: Veronica E. Villalobos is the current Director, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) where she manages OPM’s government- wide diversity effort to develop, drive and monitor strategies and initiatives designed to create a more diverse and inclusive Federal workforce. Previously, Ms. Villalobos was one of the first Honor Program Attorneys at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). She also served as the EEOC’s Director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and she also served as the Chair of the Federal Hispanic Work Group, which was charged by the EEOC Chair with examining the Hispanic community’s systemic concerns about federal sector employment and executive development. From 2000 through 2008, Ms. Villalobos was assigned to the Office of Federal Operations where she issued decisions in cases covering the entire spectrum of legal bases of alleged discrimination, including race, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, religion, and reprisal. Ms. Villalobos graduated from Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Psychology. After graduation, she received the Telecommunications Fellowship with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, through which she gained hands-on experience at the non-profit Public Technology, Inc. Later she attended American University where she earned her law degree. Ms. Villalobos is a member of the Maryland and Michigan Bars.

Panelist: Georgia Coffey was named Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diversity and Inclusion in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2008. As Deputy Assistant Secretary, Ms. Coffey serves as the principal advisor to the Secretary and Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration on equal employment opportunity, workforce diversity and workplace inclusion issues. She has over 20 years of EEO, diversity, and dispute resolution experience in the public and private sectors and has led several leading edge EEO and diversity initiatives government-wide. Under her leadership, VA has implemented numerous groundbreaking programs including developing VA’s first Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan which served as a model for the Government-wide Strategic Plan established under President Obama’s Executive Order 13548, standing-up its first VA-wide Diversity Council, implementing standardized EEO and diversity training and performance elements for managers and supervisors, issuing a consolidated EEO, Diversity, and No FEAR Policy Statement, and restructuring and renaming the office she leads to the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Prior to joining VA in 2008, Ms. Coffey served as the Director of EEO and Diversity Management and Acting Assistant Commissioner for Management for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration where she implemented similar first-time EEO and diversity initiatives. She is a prolific public speaker on diversity and inclusion in the public sector and a contributing author to “Inside the Minds: Implementing a Successful Human Resources Strategy.”

Panelist: Valerie Moon Cofield entered Senior Executive Service as Section Chief in the FBI’s Science and Technology Branch in New York with has oversight of the Criminal Justice Information Services, the Laboratory, and Operational Technology Divisions. Ms. Cofield began her career as an auditor for the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and was later promoted to the Financial Manager. In 2008, Ms. Cofield was transferred to FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC, to become the Budget Unit Chief of the Criminal Investigative Division. In January of 2011, Ms. Cofield was promoted to the Budget Officer position of the Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch (CCRSB), overseeing the budgets of five combined Divisions. Ms. Cofield holds a degree in Economics with a minor in Accounting from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Panelist: Elvis Cordova is the Deputy Under Secretary for the Marketing and Regulatory Programs Mission Area at the U.S. Department of Agriculture where he helps to oversee the Agricultural Marketing Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration. He previously served as the Chief of Staff for the Research, Education & Economics Mission Area at USDA. Before joining USDA, he served as a Presidential Management Fellow at the Farm Credit Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy. Mr. Cordova has also held the position of Vice President of Public Relations at Tzolkin Media Inc., a D.C. based start-up company that developed online entertainment content for the Latino youth market. Prior to joining Tzolkin Media, he was the Director for Latin American programs at the Self Reliance Foundation. Before relocating to Washington D.C., he lived in Argentina and Brazil where he conducted research on economic and trade development. During his time in New York City, he worked at the United Nations as a consultant where he researched state capacity building strategies aimed at enhancing trade development in emerging markets. He also worked as a management planning analyst for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation. Mr. Cordova began his career as a financial analyst at the Harvard Management Company in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Cordova, a recipient of the Woodrow Wilson Graduate Fellowship, holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Northeastern University.

Panelist: Aaron Bishop was named Commissioner, Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities at the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, after serving as Acting Commissioner since November, 2013. Mr. Bishop has almost 20 years of experience working with and for individuals with disabilities in both the direct practice and public policy sectors. Aaron was the Executive Director of the National Council on Disability from 2010 to 2013. In 2006, he received a Kennedy Foundation Public Policy Fellowship to work on federal disability policy and legislation for the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Aaron’s previous experience also includes serving as the Project Coordinator for the Waisman Center University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, where he managed projects that advanced the rights of individuals with disabilities. He also served as the Site Coordinator and Director of Technical Assistance for the National Service Inclusion Project for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities. Aaron received his Master of Science in Social Work degree, with an emphasis in public policy, and two Bachelor of Science in Natural Sciences degrees from the University of Wisconsin Madison.

Health and Economic issues of Pacific Islanders

Description: The Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders Americans (NHOPI) in the federal government are an unknown culture within its workforce; stereotyped as Asians; and often times miss-understood. Training will provide a better understanding of who the Pacific Islanders are and their uniqueness within the Government workforce. Facilitators from the islands will speak on their unique perspective of the government and provide first-class cultural and traditional experiences. This training effort will add to your leadership skill sets in the human factors of Pacific Islanders.

Speaker: Naomi Tacuyan Underwood is currently the Legislative Assistant at the Office of Representative Madeleine Bordallo and was previously the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Outreach Director. She served as former Deputy Director for Asian Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote) and previously served as a former board member of National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity (NAFVE) and the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)-Washington D.C. Chapter.

Speaker: Teresita Guevara Smith enlisted in the U.S. Army and retired as a Noncommissioned Officer and a Gulf War Veteran. She became a DoD civilian working for the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) as a Intelligence Officer. She has worked for DIA for over 15 years. She is the Agency’s affinity group, Asia Pacific Americans Council, Senior Advisor; a lifetime member of the DIA Chapter of Blacks in Government; a member of Federally Employed Women and the Hispanic Americans Committed to Excellence. Teresita is founder and chairperson of the first ever Defense Intelligence Veterans organization, the DIA Veterans Assisting Veterans (VAV). In 2013, Teresita was appointed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as one of his Advisors on the Advisory Committee for Minority Veterans, a Congressional mandated Committee. She represents the Pacific Islanders and Asian American Veterans. Teresita’s long-time advocacy work for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has gone solid without a break for over 15 years. Teresita received the DIA Diversity Leadership Award 2003; FAPAC Diversity Award 2013; and recently received the Office of Director National Intelligence Diversity Award for Individual Team Achievement Award 2014.

Speaker: Robin Lee Gyorgyfalvy is the Scenic Byways & Environmental Design Program Leader at Deschutes National Forest, USDA. She previously served as the Newberry National Volcanic Monument Director and oversaw Building and Site Improvements. She is on the National Executive Committee for the Forest Service’s APA Employee Association (APAEC) and organized HAPA EA Cross Cultural Awareness Storyteller Series in Central Oregon. In 2012, Gyorgyfalvy presented at an international conference in China on the development of national forest parks. Robin has both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon, and was recently elected to serve as national vice president for the American Society of Landscape Architects. She is the author of an award-winning book, “Legends of the Hawaiian Forest,” which connects young people with nature through a respect for land and culture.

Lunch on your own!

Please Respect My Generation! - 5 Generations at Work

Description: This interactive workshop is designed to address the aging workforce and how it plays a pivotal role in today’s workforce; show participants how to recognize generational traits and biases based on the 5 generations that are currently in today’s workforce. Participants are required to bring a pen/pencil.

Presenters: Cynthia D. Dunn joined the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Headquarters (HQ), Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) division, Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Washington, DC as the EDI Director on July 25, 2004. Prior to TE/GE, Cynthia served as the Senior EEO Specialist for the IRS, Large and Mid-Size Business (LMSB) division, December 2000 – July 2004. Cynthia also served as the Acting EEO Director for LMSB (several occasions) and the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Services (TAS), March-June 2003. Cynthia started her Federal government career in 1980 as a GS-01 Clerk Typist in the Stay-in-School Program. She began her career in the field of EEO and Diversity in 1992. Cynthia attended the University of Maryland College Park and the European Division, Nuernberg, West Germany. She is an active member of the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC).

Margareth J. Bennett is currently with the National Institute of Health as the Director, Institute and Center Services Division. Prior to joining the NIH, Ms. Bennett worked for the Small Business Administration, where she served as the Assistant Administrator for Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights Compliance. Ms. Bennett has worked for several Federal agencies, to name a few: Department of Veteran Affairs; Department of Treasury; Internal Revenue Service; Department of the Army; Department of Defense; and the U.S. Coast Guard in a myriad of positions from EEO Counselor up to Management. Ms. Bennett is committed and a life time civil servant, she has been with the Federal government for 34 years 27 of those years has been in the Equal Opportunity, Equal Employment Opportunity and Civil Rights field. Ms. Bennett is the proud mother of two sons, and the grandmother of four beautiful grandchildren.

Leadership Empowerment: Strategy to Reach Your Fullest Potential

Presenter: COL Mary Mayhugh, DOD & Charmane S. Johnson is a twenty-year veteran of the Civil Rights and Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Management Career Field. She joined the senior staff in the DoD’s Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (P&R), Office Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity (ODMEO), in January 2004. She serves as the Director for Federal Women, Asian, and Black Employment Policy for the DoD, ensuring fairness and equity in department-wide practices, policies, and programs that impact more than 700,000 civilian workers located in the U.S. and abroad. Mrs. Johnson publishes DoD-wide Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) policies that promote and strengthen the presence and participation of minorities and women in the DoD pipeline and key department positions. Mrs. Johnson also leads initiatives to support Minority Institutions of Higher Education, to include Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions. Mrs. Johnson established the DoD Centralized Intern Program in 2007 and continues to lead component-wide initiatives, while mentoring students and guiding them into internships and permanent department positions

C-Suite 20: Strategies that Increase Your C-Suite Potential

Description: This presentation will evaluate barriers to senior level Asian employees in the federal government who are seeking greater leadership opportunities. We will discuss strategies and identify best practices that may increase access to the C-Suite.

Presenter: Patricia L. St. Clair is the Assistant Director of Federal Sector Programs, Training and Outreach Division, in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Office of Federal Operations. Ms. St. Clair oversees the development, implementation and delivery of anti-discrimination and diversity training and outreach initiatives for the federal government and stakeholders. Prior to serving as Assistant Director, Ms. St. Clair was a Senior Attorney Advisor in the Agency Oversight Division of Federal Sector Programs which oversees federal agencies EEO and Affirmative employment programs. In this position Ms. St. Clair also evaluated federal agencies’ performance to ensure effective and efficient implementation of EEO and Diversity programs. Possessing over twenty years legal experience specializing in equal employment opportunity, affirmative employment, labor and diversity in both the private and government sector, Ms. St. Clair is a seasoned professional in the area of employment and labor law, with specific expertise in employment discrimination, labor management relations and diversity and inclusion management. Ms. St. Clair is a graduate of Tulane University School of Law and State University of New York College at Oswego. She is an active member of the American Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association.

Preserving the Integrity of the Federal Merit Systems: Understanding and Addressing Perceptions of Favoritism

Description: According to the merit system principles, Federal employees are to be selected on the basis of merit after fair and open competition. However, results from surveys conducted by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board indicate that a substantial number of employees feel that personal favoritism threatens the integrity of the Federal merit systems. In this presentation, we will discuss what favoritism is, when and why it is perceived to occur, and the potential negative impacts on employees and organizations. We will also provide a variety of strategies for employees, supervisors and human resources staff to facilitate the fair and effective management of Federal employees.

Presenter: Dr. Cynthia Ferentinos is a Senior Research Psychologist with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), Office of Policy and Evaluation. Her research has focused on improving understanding of the merit system principles, facilitating the fair and equitable treatment of Federal employees, such as by avoiding favoritism and discrimination on legally protected bases, in addition to analyzing longitudinal trends in Federal employee opinions and evaluating pay for performance compensation systems. During her Federal career, Ms. Ferentinos has also been employed with the U.S. Customs Service, the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S Army Research Institute. Ms. Ferentinos is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) and has a PhD in Industrial-Organizational Psychology.

Afternoon Break! Feel free to visit the exhibits!

Insurance Risks of Federal Benefits

Description: This session will provide attendees with information necessary to achieve the objective of creating a positive and inclusive environment for all. Participants will be provided with an overview of the discrimination faced by LGBTs in the federal workplace and acceptable terminology to use when referring to LGBT employees. Participants will also be provided with tools and knowledge they can use to make the workplace more inclusive for LGBT Individuals.

Presenter: James A. De La Torre, CRPC, has over 26 years counseling federal employees on financial matters and intricacies of their federal benefits and retirement systems. Jim has conducted federal benefit and financial planning seminars in all 50 states and is an active presenter at federal conferences and professional associations in the area of financial/retirement planning and federal benefits. Jim has appeared on the radio show “Fed Talk” and is an active participant in the federal employee blog “Federal Soup.” Jim Graduated from the Hotel & Restaurant Management Program, City College of San Francisco and is the president of his own firm, fedADVANTAGE. He holds a Charter Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC) professional designation from the College for Financial Planning and is a member of The Financial Planning Association (FPA).

The New IQ+: Improving Teamwork, Retention, Innovation, and Productivity through the Power of Inclusion

Description: This next generation of intelligence is about actively soliciting and then harnessing the power of diverse perspectives that may or may not be rooted in specific individual education, experience and or expertise. Product development experts may be the best experts at design, but their ability to design a better cup or a better lid doesn’t necessarily mean that it will occur to them to plug the hole so the coffee stays in the cup while they build a better lid. Business analysts may be the best experts at showing how cost cutting improves the bottom line, but cost cutting done with a narrow perspective also cuts down on the perspectives that allow you to know and deliver what the customer wants. The intelligence you need to solve any problem is already available, if you know how to look for it and use it. Your New IQ+ is your ability to seek out that intelligence and include it into how you think, learn and lead..

Presenter: Bruce Stewart retired as a Lt Colonel from the United States Air Force in October 2007, after 23 years of service. During his service he was attached to the Special Forces, served as a Management Engineer, and was a Computer and Communications Commander. His last assignment was as the Air National Guard’s (ANG) Director of Cultural Diversity Transformation. Bruce has served and been involved in numerous Leadership and Diversity initiatives at the local, state, and national levels. He has lectured on diversity at several leading educational institutions including MIT, University of Kansas, the Naval NCO Academy, and Harvard. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Illinois University and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Friends University. He has also completed course requirements for a PhD in Organizational Development. Bruce is and has been an Adjunct Professor for the past 17 years and recently completed a book on diversity leadership titled, “Cultural Leadership: The New Chemistry of Leading Differently.” And, he has a second book scheduled to publish this summer titled, “Diversitopia: Creating the World of Tomorrow by Thinking Differently Today.”

Leading Across Generation-Unleashing the Power of Innovation

Description: For the first time in history, there are four distinct generations in the workforce: Traditionalists, Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials, and all with their own perspectives, styles, and expectations. Leading a team of diverse generations can be an incredibly rich and productive experience when you have the skills in place to capitalize on the strengths of each generation. This workshop provides insights and tools to help participants turn the attitudes and skills each generation brings to the table into powerful performance drivers. Attendees will also learn how differences can fuel innovation.

Presenter: John W. Burden is a member of the Senior Executive Service and he serves as the Chief Diversity Officer at the Department of the Interior. A recognized expert on diversity and inclusion, John has been interviewed and quoted by many leading national publications and organizations, including the New York Times, Washington Post, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the International Society of Diversity and Inclusion Professionals. He has received several recognitions for his achievements in the field of diversity, most notably the esteemed President of the United States’ Meritorious Service Medal. John is professionally certified by the Human Resources Certification Institute - the credentialing arm of the Society of Human Resources Management - as a Senior Professional in Human Resources. His formal education includes a BS in Workforce Education and Development from Southern Illinois University, and an MA in Human Resources Management from Webster University.

Beyond Words: Accents in the Workplace Description: Many of us have said, excuse me I hear an accent, where are you from? The truth is we all have accents. We will discuss whether all accents are created equal and how accents contribute to workplace perception of whether an employee is talented, capable and promotable. We will delve into national origin discrimination, specifically accents and how they may impact an employee’s opportunities for success and advancement in the workplace. What are the barriers and how we can move beyond to increase professional opportunities in the workplace.

Presenter: Awo Sarpong Ansu is Assistant Director of the Special Services Staff in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Office of Federal Operations. Ms. Sarpong Ansu has served the Commission in a number of capacities, including as a Special Assistant to former EEOC Chair Jacqueline Berrien and as Attorney Advisor to the Director of the Office of Federal Operations. She has performed both litigation and policy work in the Office of Legal Counsel and served as an Attorney Advisor in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Office of Field Programs, which oversees the EEOC’s 53 field offices. In her current position she oversees a staff of Attorneys who provide technical assistance and legal advice to internal and external stakeholders regarding the effective implementation and compliance with EEOC decisions, guidance and regulations. A graduate of the New York University School of Law and Barnard College, Ms. Sarpong Ansu began her legal career as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of New York, where she represented the city civil rights and employment discrimination litigation. She spent several years in private practice before joining the Commission in 1999.

Keynote Speaker: Director Katherine Archuleta is a long-time public servant, who has distinguished herself as a leader on human resources and management policy in a variety of senior positions in local and federal government. On May 23, 2013, President Obama appointed Director Archuleta to lead the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the agency responsible for attracting and retaining an innovative, diverse and talented workforce to make the Federal Government a model employer for the 21st century. On November 4th, Archuleta began her tenure as the 10th Director of OPM and became the first Latina to head this federal agency. Director Archuleta began her career in public service as a teacher in the Denver public school system. She left teaching to work as an aide to Denver Mayor Federico Peña. When Mayor Peña became Secretary of Transportation during the Clinton Administration, Archuleta continued her public service as his Chief of Staff. Later, Peña was appointed to head the Department of Energy and Archuleta served as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the Secretary. After the Clinton Administration, she went back to local government and became a Senior Policy Advisor to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. Archuleta spent the first two years of the Obama Administration serving as the Chief of Staff at the Department of Labor to Secretary Hilda Solis. As the Director of OPM, Archuleta is committed to building an innovative and inclusive workforce that reflects the diversity of America. As a long-time public servant, she is a champion of Federal employees.

Special Remarks: Dr. Sonny Ramaswamy was appointed to serve as director of the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) on May 7, 2012. As part of USDA's Research, Education, and Extension mission, he oversees NIFA awards funds for a wide range of extramural research, education, and extension projects that address the needs of farmers, ranchers, and agricultural producers. Ramaswamy has published nearly 150 journal articles, book chapters and a book. He has received a number of awards and honors as a scientist and department head, including being named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Fellow of the Entomological Society of America; and Distinguished Graduate Alumnus of Cook College, Rutgers University. He received a BS in agriculture and an MS in entomology from the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, India, and his doctorate in entomology from Rutgers University. He is also a graduate of the University of Nebraska's New Academic Chair's Program and Harvard University's Management Development Program.

Cultural Presentation: Natyabhoomi School of Dance was founded by Ms. Deepti Mukund in 1994. Her sister Shruthi Mukund joined her in 2001. Natyabhoomi is the fruit of their passion and dedication. The school offers quality dance instruction in Mysore Style of Bharathanatyam, the South Indian classical dance form, and in Indian folk dances and additionally provides cultural education to the students. The Bharathanatyam classes are offered in Potomac and Gaithersburg, Maryland. Choreographing innovative pieces using contemporary music or movements but keeping the essence of the traditional style is the specialty of the school. The school has performed in many prestigious venues all over India and in the US including the Millennium Stage, Kennedy Center, Strathmore, and Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center.

Retirement Forum – Life Reimagined Checkup

Description: The world is full of possibilities: new passions to pursue, work that’s rewarding, people to connect with, healthier ways to live. Sometimes you know exactly what you want & how to get it. Other times, the answer isn’t as clear. A Life Reimagined Checkup event will help offer a fresh & personalized approach to help you navigate the next phase of your life.

Presenter: Anne Herbster is a marketing and sales executive with 20+ years in financial services and affinity marketing creating innovative multi-channel programs for both consumers and businesses. Recently, Anne assumed responsibility for leading local face - to - face experiences for Life Reimagined, Real Possibilities from AARP. Life Reimagined is a new of thinking about What’s Next in your life. It’s all about possibilities-envisioning them, evaluating them and making them a reality through unique tools, resources and experiences. Working with Life Reimagined, Anne brings her public speaking and facilitation skills to helping people identify their what’s next Prior to joining AARP she was the VP Affinity Marketing for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company managing their $2 Billion Affinity business and has held numerous management positions in Fortune 100 companies. She has a BS in Math from Jacksonville University and an MBA from Columbia University

Lifestyle Balance - Transition to Right Size

Description: The world is full of possibilities: new passions to pursue, work that’s rewarding, people to connect with, healthier ways to live. Sometimes you know exactly what you want & how to get it. Other times, the answer isn’t as clear. A Life Reimagined Checkup event will help offer a fresh & personalized approach to help you navigate the next phase of your life.

Presenter: Eric Stewart, CEO of the Eric Stewart Group, a progressive real estate business that leverage modern technologies to enhance classic business techniques to secure sales for buyers and sellers. The group has experts in every specialty of real estate, from luxury moves to senior specialists to relocation to first time buyers and new home purchases. Eric is also President and founder of Widow Care, Inc., which mobilizes volunteers to help widows and widowers regain stability and functionality while also forming a support network, building nurturing relationships among volunteers and widowed members. He also hosted the Eric Stewart Show for the last 10 years on WMAL in Washington DC providing weekly updates on the Washington D.C. Metropolitan real estate market, speak on economics and strategies for selling and buying homes. I also advise on relocation, rightsizing for seniors, and selling family estates.

Next year, FAPAC is planning to hold the 31st National Leadership Training Program in Orlando, Florida. Please stay tuned to www.fapac.org for more information.

For the FAPAC training certificates, please check your emails to find a link to the survey. Once this survey is completed, the certificate will be emailed to you.